What I am Grateful For - Bright Memories from the Darkness of Alzheimer's Disease

Several years ago, we learned my father had Alzheimer’s.  We had suspected it for some time; however, the certainty was still upsetting.  The following year, my husband and I decided to move closer to the family.  I wanted to be able to spend time with my father while he still had good years. 

In June 2000, my husband received a job offer in Nashville Tn.  We relocated from Everett WA in August of that year.  I stayed behind to finish the project I was working on in Seattle and moved in November.  I took a few months off from working and then began working part time for a transportation consulting firm that eventually led to a consultant position to the Regional Transportation Authority in Nashville.  

This position offered the flexibility I needed to be able to go to Augusta and see my family.  I could go for about a week at a time.  I was able to work remotely.  The visits in the beginning were mainly just that, to visit.  As my father’s disease progressed, it became more about providing assistance to my mother and being of service to my family. 

These visits offered me some of the fondest memories I have and provided great time for me to share with my father.  On one visit, he needed to buy a small, push mower for the areas of the yard that he could not get to with the riding one.  We shopped and found a mower he believed was priced right and could get the job done.  All this time, my brother assured me that mowers were pre-assembled and all that was needed was to put the handles and wheels on. 

When we got home, we discovered this mower needed major assembly.  Before my father had Alzheimer’s, I don’t believe he had the patience to work with me on such a project.  But this time, I was the project manager and he was the assistant.  It took us all day, but we assembled the mower.  It was a great time to share.  When it came to the very end, something was missing.  I phoned my brother and he came over to check the work.  It appeared that we were missing the final piece.  He and Dad loaded the mower into the truck and took it back.  Because of their trouble, the store exchanged it for the next model up.  That model only needed handles and wheels assembled.  My Dad and I spent all day assembling that mower, and it never ran for us.  I would not trade that day for the finest riding mower in the world.

On another trip, we painted and reupholstered chairs for my sister.  Some trips we would just go grocery shopping, get lunch or lay back and watch the Atlanta Braves.

Another great memory I have is when my husband and I went to spend a weekend with my Dad so my Mom and sister could go to Savannah for a weekend.  My brother had told me that Dad had begun saying that he and John Smoltz (Braves pitcher) went to Greenville High School together.  I had forgotten to warn my husband about this.  After we arrived, we had dinner and settled in to watch the Braves.  John Smoltz came up to pitch and my Dad said “ I believe he and I went to Parker High at the same time”.  My husband looked at me so incredibly confused.  I had to leave the room before I cracked up.  He was so funny.  My Dad stayed on that kick for quite a while. 

After a while, we had to move Dad to a nursing facility because caring for him was getting too much for my mother.  At first he kept asking us “When are they going to let me out of here?”  As the disease progressed, he began to believe that he built the facility and all the people there worked for him.  He used to tell us how busy he had been and how tired he was.  He always seemed to be happy and in good spirits.

Now, the only real way you know if he knows you, is, when you go to leave and kiss him and tell him you love him, if says he loves you too.  If he says thanks, then you know has no idea who you are.  I find it endearing that he will not tell a stranger he loves them. 

I am grateful for the quality time I got to share with him before the disease took him away.  I am grateful for the influence he was and still is on my life and my character.   Am grateful that I had the opportunity and skills to get a position that offered the flexibility I needed.  I am grateful the people I worked for understood and supported me in doing what I needed to do. 

The photo below is one my husband took the weekend were there and he thought he was John Smoltz' school mate.

Read More

A Common Sense Approach to Healthy Aging and Reducing Risk of Alzheimer's

A Common Sense Approach to Lifestyle

So……..with this news, it’s more important than ever to do my best to control my insulin through a clean diet to minimize my risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes used to be called “Adult Onset” diabetes, because it happened later in life.   However, due to the abundance and over dependence on highly processed foods, children are now developing this disease at an alarmingly high rate.  A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains can help keep your blood sugar stable.  Eating frequently throughout the day is also a good way to keep the blood sugar stable.

Exercise improves our physical and mental health—that is now beyond debate. The physical benefits are obvious; we know that exercise lowers blood pressure, decreases cholesterol, reduces fat, adds muscle and improves cardiovascular function.  But now we know that …..What affects the body affects the brain. What is bad for the body is bad for the brain, and what is good for the body is good for the brain.

“Walking is a man’s best medicine” – Hippocrates, and dancing is never a bad idea!

Exercising, eating healthy foods, refraining from smoking and limiting alcohol consumption reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes and also the risk for age-related neurogenative disorders.

Action Plan for Healthy Aging!

Ø  Eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains.

Ø  Avoid processed foods and limit sugar intake.

Ø  Eat at least five times a day to keep blood sugar stable.

Ø  Exercise – walk as much as possible.  Park in the back of the parking lot when shopping and use the stairs instead of elevators.

Ø  Mix it and go swimming, garden, bicycle.

Ø  If you are new to exercising, begin by several short walks throughout the day.

Ø  If you don’t have a hobby, get one.

Ø  Play games and have fun with family and friends.

Ø  Get outside and move or take a dancing class.

Ø  Read and always continue to learn.

Ø  Brush your teeth your non dominant hand – and do ther things with the non dominant hand.

Read More

Alzheimer's and Exercise - can it help?

The RESEARCH -What About Exercise?

New research adds to the growing evidence that physical activity can reduce cognitive decline and slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease.  The significance of this particular study is that it measured total daily activity using actigraphy instead of relying on self-reporting by study subjects.  Study findings showed a clear relationship between higher levels of overall physical activity and lower rates of cognitive decline.

More good news from this research is that increasing activity helps even when people are over the age of 80, since the average age of study subjects was 82. What’s more, every movement counts—even activities as simple as cooking, playing cards or washing dishes.

The mental and physical diseases that occur in old age are directly tied to the cardiovascular and metabolic systems. People who have diabetes have a 65% higher risk of developing dementia.  Those with heart disease are at far greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.  High cholesterol increases the risk of developing dementia by 43%.  We know that exercise and good nutrition can prevent or significantly decrease most of these conditions!!!

Neuroscientists recommend swimming, dancing, gardening, knitting, more frequent use of the non-dominant hand and leg, and walking 10,000 steps on a daily basis.   A daily 20-minute walk can cut the risk of having a stroke, one of the leading causes of mental disability in the elderly, by 57%.

Regular cardiovascular exercise gets blood to the brain, bringing much-needed oxygen and glucose for energy, thereby enhancing neuronal connections. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise stimulates the production of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which also stimulates the growth of new cells in the hippocampus.

Arthur Kramer, PhD, of the University of Illinois, tested the cognitive functioning of 124 men and women, aged 60–75. Subjects were divided into two groups; one walked briskly for an hour three times per week, while the other did yoga-type stretching. After 6 months of activity, they were given a memory test, and the walkers scored 25% higher than those who stretched.

More research states that  elderly people who dance regularly decrease their risk of dementia by 76%.

Read More

Alzheimer's and Diet - what is the Connection?

The RESEARCH – The Diet Connection:

There is new research strongly linking Type 2 diabetes to increased risk of Alzheimer’s and some even call Alzheimer’s “Type 3 Diabetes.”   This growing and compelling body of evidence suggests that Alzheimer’s and Type 2 diabetes are linked by a common factor: insulin resistance.  Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh proved it for the first time.   According to a press release from Penn Medicine, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases by 50% for people with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance and accounts for 90% of all diabetes cases, says the same source.

What is Insulin Resistance?  Our metabolism evolved eons ago, when our diet included fewer (and more complex) carbohydrates. Today most calories in the American diet come in the form of carbohydrates, and most of those are simple carbohydrates — sugars or highly processed foods - that quickly enter the bloodstream causing the blood sugar to rise rapidly.  The body has to release high levels of insulin to keep the level of glucose in the bloodstream from spiraling out of control.   Over time, the cells quit responding to this signal.  At this point the body is “insulin resistant.”   Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to keep blood glucose under control.

Read More

Do you know the Risk Factors for Alzheimer's?

As many of you know, my father passed away last summer after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.  I decided to do some research on the risk factors, if any, that are associated with this disease.

The RISK FACTORS

According to the Mayo Clinic, Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's disease results from a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.  The biggest risk factor in developing Alzheimer’s is increasing age.  Nearly half of individuals over 85 have the disease.  Your risk of developing Alzheimer's appears to be somewhat higher if a first-degree relative — your parent or sibling — has the disease.  

While there is no one lifestyle factor that conclusively reduces your risk of developing Alzheimer’s, there is strong evidence suggesting the same factors that put you at risk of heart disease may also increase your risk for developing Alzheimer’s.   Examples include lack of exercise, smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, uncontrolled diabetes, a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables and lack of social engagement.

Read More